The NBA: Grossly Overpaid NBAers Part Deux

Yesterday,
we looked at the top 20 NBA players based on their 2012-2013 salaries and
measured this against their on-court production, which was based on NBA
Efficiency (c/o HoopStats.com).

This time
let’s look at the next 20 players on the NBA’s highest-paid list (c/o ESPN.go.com).
We’ll do the same thing here and see which players are giving their respective
teams great bang for the buck and which players aren’t exactly making each
million worth it.

Also, we’ll
look at some of the most efficient players of the league who are NOT part of
the Top 40 highest-paid cagers.

1)The
most glaring thing I can find here is that, compared to the Top 20 moneymakers,
there are more players on this list with a “Bang for the Buck” rating higher
than 1.00. This simply means that these guys are really playing at the level
they were “paid to do so.” That, in my book, is a VERY GOOD thing. Of course,
as a player’s salary increases (along with his age, too), the harder it gets
for him to maintain his “Bang” rating. He’ll have to up his production commensurate
to the increase in his pay, and that is definitely easier said than done.

2)The
guy with the highest “Bang for the Buck” rating in the Top 20 was Kevin Durant
with 1.73, but here there is actually someone who beats him – David Lee of the
Golden State Warriors. Lee has a 22.4 EFF rating while getting paid “only” 12.7
million dollars. His “Bang” is at a whopping 1.76. His averages of nearly 18
points, nearly 11 rebounds, and nearly 50% FG shooting have re-established him
as a star in the league, and, as their record proves, the Warriors are
benefitting mightily, too.

David Lee is having a banner season as theWarriors enjoy a strong start.(image by Carlos Osorio/AP)

3)It’s
interesting to note that two of the guys playing below their “value” are former
number one picks – Andrew Bogut (top pick in 2005) and Emeka Okafor (top pick
in 2004). Bogut has been sidelined with a sore ankle since November 8, but even
before then he struggled to complement Lee’s stellar play in the GSW
frontcourt. Okafor, meanwhile, has never really lived up to big expectations,
and, despite frontline partner Nene not exactly playing at an All-Star level,
has also not been able to blossom on a thin Washington roster.

4)Some
of the really great players NOT on the Top 40 highest-paid are the following:

a.Anderson
Varejao – he’s at #73 with $8.4 million; his EFF is 26.9 for a 3.20 “Bang”

b.Tim
Duncan – he’s at #58 with $9.6 million; his EFF is 25.4 for a 2.65 “Bang”

c.Rajon
Rondo – he’s at #45 with $11 million; his EFF is 22.5 for a 2.05 “Bang”

d.Joakim
Noah - he’s #43 with $11.3 million; his EFF is 21.7 for a 1.92 “Bang”

e.Kyle
Lowry – he’s at #118 with $5,750,000; his EFF is 21.2 for a 3.69 “Bang”

Game
Recaps (courtesy of the Sports Network):

New York 112, Miami 92

Raymond
Felton sank six of New York's 18 3- pointers en route to 27 points as the
Knicks downed the Miami Heat, 112-92, at American Airlines Arena. Steve Novak
added four shots from beyond the arc for 18 points, while J.R. Smith and Jason
Kidd each connected on three from long distance for the Knicks, who won their
fifth straight game despite Carmelo Anthony sitting out the contest with a
lacerated middle finger on his left hand. LeBron James fell an assist short of
his second consecutive triple- double as he finished with 31 points, 10
rebounds and nine assists for Miami, which has dropped its last two. Dwyane
Wade contributed 13 points while shooting just 3-for-13 from the floor and
Chris Bosh dropped in 12 points on 3-of-12 shooting in the loss.

JR Smith celebrates as the Knicks hand the Heat theirfirst home loss of the season. Rejoice!(image by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Dallas 97, Phoenix 94

O.J. Mayo
drained the game-winning bucket with 34.6 seconds to play and the Dallas
Mavericks escaped with an 97-94 win over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday at
American Airlines Center. Mayo finished with a game-high 23 points and five
rebounds, Darren Collison netted 16 points, including 10-of-12 from the free
throw line, and Brandan Wright added 16 points for the Mavericks, who bounced
back from a loss to the LA Clippers on Wednesday. Chris Kaman finished with 15
points and seven rebounds, while Shawn Marion contributed 10 points and five
boards in the triumph. Markieff Morris put home 15 points and ripped down a
career-high 17 rebounds, while Goran Dragic added 15, four steals and four
assists for the Suns, who have lost five straight games. Luis Scola ended his
night with 13 points, while Shannon Brown and Jared Dudley had 11 apiece in the
setback.

True! Especially for the younger set like rookies or sophs because their salaries are capped. It is, however, worth looking into the top moneymakers simply because, well, they're paid a TON of money, and I find it really interesting to see if it's money well-spent. :)